Matsumoto Castle Tour & Soba Noodle Experience

Explore Matsumoto Castle and master soba-making in a hands-on workshop. Dive into Japanese history and cuisine in one unforgettable experience.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Matsumoto Station - After touring the castle (Around 1 hour), the activity is divided into two stages:
    Preparing and cutting the Soba (Around 1 hour) :
    Begins with a short video introduction presenting the Soba and explaining the different steps involved in making it, from preparation of the dough to cutting the noodles, you will quickly start…
What's Included
  • Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
  • Soba Noodle Tasting + 1 Extra
  • Soba Noodle Making with the Soba Master
What's Not Included
  • Side Dish (Oyaki, snacks etc.) and Drinks
  • Miscellaneous fees during the activity (snacks, souvenirs, etc.)
  • Insurance (Travel Insurance, Private Insurance, etc…)
Meal Options
  • Soba Noodle
Additional Information

Experience an entirely hands-on journey from beginning to end, and immerse yourself in the genuine flavors of Japanese cuisine!
Matsumoto is renowned for its high-quality Soba (buckwheat flour noodles) and its historic feudal castle!
Start by exploring Matsumoto Castle, a “National Treasure” of Japan, celebrated for its well-preserved original…

Location
Matsumoto Castle Admission Ticket Counter
Tour begins at Matsumoto Castle. Your guide will be waiting just outside the main gate of Matsumoto Castle (just in front of the ticket gate and entrance to the paid admission area.)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(21 Ratings)
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Sydney_c
Dec 29, 2025
We had a lovely... - We had a lovely experience with this tour of Matsumoto castle. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the town and castle. The soba noodle making class was fun and the food after was delicious. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Kay_r
Oct 6, 2025
Good value, interesting tour. - A really good tour, well worth the money. It ended up being a private tour which was a bonus for us. Tom met us at the station and took us to the castle, stopping at interesting places on the way, then took us to the soba experience. As an ex-teacher he was very clear, kept us engaged and gave us informative explanations, sometimes backed by useful visual aids. The castle is amazing, so well preserved . The soba experience was interesting and it led to a simple but tasty lunch. Highly recommended the tour and Tom!
Review provided by Viator
Joyce_h
Sep 19, 2025
Castle and noodles! Perfect! - The tour of Matsumoto Castle was an amazing way to start my visit to this beautiful city. The guide was knowledgeable and made it a fun adventure. But the best part for me was the soba noodle making experience. I love cooking, food, and food culture so it was perfect for me. And the result was delicious!
Review provided by Viator
Ephraim_c
Jun 28, 2025
It‘s a very fun tour to... - It‘s a very fun tour to combine history with a quick cooking class. The handmade soba are so tasty and a huge difference to the store bought ones. Can highly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_t
May 31, 2025
Great Fun and Educational - Our guide is very likable and a life-long resident, except for six years in Toyko to go to university. The tour of the castle was very interesting and educational, and the wine-making class was just plain fun. We then ate our noodles in the small restaurant below the room where we made them. All a fun, intimate experience.
Review provided by Viator
Lepointdevued
Apr 16, 2025
Matsumoto Guide - The places were beautiful and the guide who welcomed us informed us about many topics, whether it was the tour or other places of interest not foreseen in the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
610tylern
Apr 16, 2025
5/5 All Around Experience in Matsumoto - Tim was excellent. The absolute best guide you can ask for. Tim is knowledgeable not only in the castle history but surrounding area as well. He speaks fluent English and Japanese so he is able to manage the small group size interactions with the locals easily. The castle itself is amazing as was the owner of the soba shop. 5/5 in both metic and freedom units, would do again in a heartbeat. Thank you again for everything Tim.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Colleenlw2503nh
Jul 3, 2024
Informative and fun - Really enjoyed the tour of the castle with explanations about the different parts of the castle. The soba noodle experience was really fun. We got to make our own noodles and then they were cooked and served in the restaurant downstairs. Our guide, Naomi, gave us some really good suggestions for other things to see in Matsumoto as well. I highly recommend this tour to anyone, including families.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kerrywf5040up
Dec 9, 2024
Great tour - The tour was great. Shin was a great tour guide and was very flexible. He was very knowledgeable about Matsumoto and the castle. My only comment was that I did not realise that you had to take your shoes off to walk around the castle. I only had thin socks on and I was very cold during winter! The Soba making was fun and lovely to eat our soba.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stationroadhaddinton
Apr 13, 2025
Disappointing - Don’t waste your money. Do the castle tour by yourself - information boards inside tell you all you need to know. Soba noodle making experience very poor - felt very rushed, couples have to share the noodle making - so you don’t get to do it all by yourself. Not a memorable experience. Lunch was nice and simple.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $89
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).